


awkward situations call for desperate measures

by noobishere



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, M/M, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-06
Updated: 2013-10-06
Packaged: 2017-12-28 14:36:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/993052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noobishere/pseuds/noobishere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur is a lawyer and Merlin is a part-time computer technician. Eventually every once in a while he calls him to his office because his incompetent assistant messes up his computer.<br/>Truth is the guy/assistant messes things up because he wants to see Merlin. One day he works up his nerves and asks him on a date. In front of Arthur. Awkward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	awkward situations call for desperate measures

**Author's Note:**

> Summary based on the prompt from KMM and can be found here (http://kinkme-merlin.livejournal.com/35615.html?thread=38603295#t38603295)

Arthur has been working with high class clients for eight years now, hence all the previous sabotaging; back-stabbing, arse-licking employees and hacker-assistants should’ve taught Arthur a valuable lesson to trust his first instincts in character analysing. God knows how many kinds of people he’s ever dealt with.

Yet there he is, sitting in his large office, trying to not get annoyed with his incompetent, useless new assistant. He considers just firing the boy. It’d be his newest record ever; barely two months and Arthur had spent more amount of his firm’s money on repairing his very expensive, supposedly high performance computer. All thanks to his assistant.

Arthur is almost certain that Gilli might have tempered with the computer’s wires or system or _something_. He has every right to be suspicious; Gilli is thin as a stick, seems shifty as if he’s in a constant state of anxiety (on second thoughts, maybe he is) and looking like a kicked puppy all the time. What is written in his job description as to, and he quotes, ‘organize and file the data alphabetically according to the dates of data acquired’ became more of a ‘let me fuck up the computer and be all useless to my boss and make his day miserable’.

He rubs his temple tiredly, suppressing a sigh. “I’ll call the technician.”

And all of a sudden, the gloomy, guilt eaten Gilli is replaced by a very most certainly non-gloomy-Gilli, and _that_ is why Arthur finds it a bit unsettling. He just needs to suss out why his assistant is acting in that particular manner.

Once the boy is out his office, Arthur dials the all too familiar number, not associated just because of the repairing his computer business, but more personal ones. Two rings later, a chipper voice answers.

“Hello, handsome.” 

Arthur swivels his chair around, away from Gilli, who is sitting in his desk outside his office, and smiles.

“Hello Emrys. Your service is needed today.”

Merlin chuckles, “Again? What did he do this time?”

Arthur shrugs, “Honestly Merlin, I have no idea. All I know is that my boyfriend is getting richer than me because of it.”

The conversation doesn’t last long, because normal calls to the technician don’t last longer than a minute. So Merlin hangs up after a quick, “Be there in five” and “Love you.”

Of course five-ish minutes later, Merlin comes onto the floor, all gangly limbs and clumsy steps and announces with a huff, “I’m here!”

Arthur refrains from rolling his eyes and gestures towards Gilli’s (technically, it’s his) computer with the tilt of his head. Of course he doesn’t fail to notice how the boy is suddenly all too rigid, his face is flushed red, like he always is whenever Merlin comes over, and seems to lose his sense of coordination when he almost tripped over his own feet while getting up from his seat to let Merlin check the computer.

Merlin smiles at Gilli, because Merlin is always bloody nice to everyone, and crouches down under the desk and starts doing whatever he’s doing. Arthur stands there with his arms crossed across his broad chest. To others, it might seem like he is just there to monitor his workers so they’d perform to their utmost ability; but really, he’s just there to stare at Merlin arse (of course) subtly.

To avoid suspicion among over lookers of the direction of his gaze, Arthur looks up to let his gaze sweep over the entire floor, putting up the good boss manner, and that’s when he catches Gilli. Blatantly staring at Merlin’s arse.

Fuck.

He is _definitely_ going to fire the idiot later. Then, he’ll make sure to put good words of misuse of appliance and inappropriate behaviour, so that he becomes un-employed for the rest of his sorry life, ending up in the streets selling weed – 

“There you go, all fixed.”

Merlin has his hands over his hips, grinning like he’s achieved something very big when fixing that damn computer has been the only thing he’s done for the past month. Now, he’ll just get rid of Merlin and tell him his new discovery later tonight, and of his plans too.

In the middle of his decision making and Merlin’s nattering, a sudden high-pitched voice silences them stupid.

“Go out with me!”

Arthur’s eyes widen as he stares at his assistant, who is standing there, back straight, hands curled into fists at his side, and oh for fuck’s sake, his eyes glimmering with unshed tears. This is probably a nerve wrecking moment for the poor boy.

Merlin is looking even more ridiculous, with his eyes bulged and mouth in a shape of an astonished ‘o’. 

“I, uh... uhm. What?”

“Go out with me. Let’s have coffee or go watch a movie.” Gilli grounds on, determined.

Despite his incompetence and overall poor performance in his line of duties, Arthur admires Gilli’s courage, he really does, but it doesn’t mean he appreciates it. Merlin’s his boyfriend, and yeah, perhaps they haven’t exactly announced to the world that they’re dating for more than a year now, but that doesn’t mean he has to pretend like this doesn’t bother him. 

Arthur looks at Merlin expectantly, when he has the other’s attention, a silent demand of ‘Well, go on then. Say no.’ And it really is that simple, but Arthur doesn’t understand why Merlin is taking so long to just politely reject Gilli, and just come up with another stupid excuse. So, it confuses him even more when he hears a quiet ‘yes’ from Merlin. 

Did Merlin just say yes? And Arthur looks at Merlin some more, his expression incredulous, berating Merlin through his sharp glare (yes, Arthur and Merlin converse with their eyes) and Merlin just smiles back at him sheepishly, shrugging like it’s no big deal. It _is_ a big deal damnit.

Oh, Arthur is definitely going to fire Gilli.

* 

“Oh, come on. You can’t have thought I’d say no to him. In front of the entire staff.”

Arthur pulls on his tie and chucks it angrily over the back of the sofa. “Yes, Merlin. I expected you to say no. In front of the whole damn staff.”

Merlin sighs and walks over to Arthur, tugging at the sleeve of his shirt. 

“Don’t be mad. Please? It’s just one date.”

“And he’s going to think you like him back.” 

Arthur knows he’s being petulant but he can’t help it. He should’ve known better. He slumps down onto the sofa and leans his head back, eyes closed, and Merlin follows.

“I’ll explain to him that I don’t. That I already have a boyfriend?”

At the uncertainty in Merlin’s voice, Arthur glares at Merlin. “You damn well better. And then I’m going to fire him.”

Merlin swats his arm lightly and chuckles, shaking his head. Arthur had planned on the drive way home that he’s going to sulk the entire night, but then Merlin leans over and pecks his cheek and rests his head on his shoulder and playing with his fingers and being overall the adorable little shit that he is. Arthur groans.

“Why are we keeping this a secret again?”

Merlin is playing with his thumb ring when he says, “Because we’re both idiots.”

It’s not like they aren’t openly out and trying to keep a secret because of daddy issues and forbidden love and all that shit. It’s just that they both couldn’t be bothered. They don’t exactly hold hands and be all over each other in public, because that’s not who they are. Yes, they’re in love, but they aren’t that comfortable with kissing each other when others are watching. It’s private. And Arthur is pretty sure they are being obvious enough for their close friends to figure it out on their own; Morgana seems to know, what with her creepy smiles and all. If they aren’t, well, it’s none of anybody’s business.

They are silent, just sitting there against each other’s warmth, fingers tangled together and just breathing, when Arthur says, “Let’s tell them then.”

Merlin stops twiddling with his ring and sits up straighter, looking at him to make sure he heard right. “You sure?”

“Yeah. If you don’t mind that is. It’s been almost two years. I know you’re not big on grand announcements, but I think they deserve to at least have an official announcement – ”

The rest of his words are unable to form into comprehensible syllables when Merlin clamps their mouths together in a loud, wet kiss. Arthur is immediately leaning into the kiss, opening his mouth to deepen it, his body moving on auto-pilot based on its memory cells alone. And he couldn’t fathom why they even thought of keeping this a secret.

*

It’s awkward, to say the least. 

Arthur is trying not to be a dick to Gilli, because apparently the tosser is so happy he comes to work with a blinding smile on his face, and even gets his coffee right, for once. He’s also trying not to glance at the clock every 5 seconds and will the time to move faster into next day.

Later that night, alone in their shared flat, Arthur tries even harder to not sulk and cry like a little baby while Merlin is out having dinner with his to-be-ex-assistant. He even lay in bed at Merlin’s side, drifting off with his book resting on his chest.

*

Arthur wakes up to Merlin’s face looking down at him, and he smiles dopily, stretching like a cat; he must’ve fallen asleep while reading.

“How’d dinner go?” He only asks on principle, not because he cares and hopes Merlin had a nice date.

Merlin shrugs, “Eh, I’ve had better.”

“I bet you do,” Arthur’s hands are at Merlin’s sides already, tugging him down over him. Merlin complies with a stupid grin, planting soft kisses on Arthur’s face as he does. They’re curled together in bed in a tangle of limbs, and Arthur asks, humour in his voice.

“Did he keep his hands to himself then? Should I charge him with sexual harassment?”

Merlin rolls his eyes, but the grin is still there on his face as he traces lazy circles on Arthur’s chest. “Well, we don’t work in the same department. So, technically any kind of sexual activity is allowed.”

Arthur barks out a laugh, shaking the bed with it, and pulled on Merlin’s ear. “Oh, you think you’re so smart don’t you.”

And they continue with their banter, dropping kisses anywhere they can reach until they’re both so hard Merlin ends up showing Arthur just how really smart he can be, with his mouth.

*

This seems to be a daily occurrence, as Arthur sits behind his desk, hands clasped over it, regarding his assistant in front of him. As usual, Gilli is standing there all awkward, like he isn’t sure where to put his hands so they just end up swinging lazily at his sides, feet constantly shuffling, shifting his weight from one foot to another and just not standing still.

Arthur clears his throat, which seems to have caught Gilli’s attention. “So, you’ve been deliberately tempering the computer so you could see Mr. Emrys?”

At the mention of Merlin, Gilli’s head lowered down again, eyes fixated on a point at the carpet, and his face as red as a ripe tomato. He nods nonetheless. 

Gilli should be embarrassed. After all, he did ask Merlin – his boyfriend, mind you – out in front of him, and according to Merlin, it was a really awkward politely made rejection on Merlin’s part, and a kicked puppy look, teary eyes on Gilli’s. So, it should be embarrassing for Gilli. Serves him right. But Arthur Pendragon is nothing but professional and true hearted (quoted from Merlin, although it might be a bit biased).

“You do realise that’s a violation of your work ethics?”

Another solemn nod.

“And that I could fire you because of it?”

A nod.

“And that I might not even have to try as hard to put in good words so you wouldn’t get employed again? Ever?”

At that, Gilli’s head snaps back up and his eyes are frantic with panic. “Please, sir. I need the job.”

 _Then you best act like you do_ Arthur almost say, but instead he lets out big dramatic sigh.

“Don’t worry, the job’s still yours,” Gilli’s face lights up at that; his mouth opens probably to spout gratitude. Haha. But Arthur isn’t quite finished yet, “But unless you want to be jobless for the rest of your life, I’d appreciate it if you show more interest in your work than other things.”

And bless the boy for having the audacity to blush even harder. “Of course.”

Arthur dismisses him with a nod and a smile, and Gilli smiles back at him before exiting his office.

That’s done then.

*

The rest of the day went with a series of shrieked (caps-locked) texts from Morgana, Gwen and Elena, all varying from ‘FUCKING SHIT ARTHUR WHY DIDNT YOU TELL US YOU IDIOT’ to ‘EEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPP’, and a couple of texts of ‘I knew it’s’ from the lads.

And of course from Merlin which had simply read: _you fucking prat! a warning would’ve been nice_

To which Arthur replied: _Come to my office later today and I’ll show you how sorry I am ;)_

*

Suffice to say, it has been a great week for Arthur and to have Merlin sprawled out on his desk wearing nothing but his tie, all breathless and flushed, having come for the second time, is a good way to conclude said great week.

And if he happened to know that Gilli has been working late that evening, without Merlin’s knowledge of course, and had definitely deduced what the unmistakably obscene voices coming out of his office were, then that was an added bonus.


End file.
